Symbiosis
Role: Level & Game-play Designer
February , 2024
Symbiosis is a Co-op 2D platformer where you and a friend work together to navigate through underground caves and jungles! See how many spider eggs you can collect!
About the Game
Symbiosis was developed for a graduate prototyping class under strict design constraints, including a single-scene structure, three types of mobile actors, and four types of environmental hazards. The entire project was built from concept to completion in just three weeks.
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I served as Gameplay and Level Designer, responsible for designing player interactions, balancing mechanics, and crafting level layouts that maximized variety within the one-scene limit. The game was the result of close collaboration with four talented teammates whose work was essential to its success.
My Take Aways
Symbiosis was the first 2D game I worked on as a level designer where agile and scrum methodologies were applied throughout the entire development cycle. While that may sound routine, it fundamentally changed how I approached my work. I began to view levels not as the complete game in themselves, but as defined deliverables within a broader production framework. This shift clarified priorities, improved my ability to break work into actionable tasks, and made iteration cycles far more deliberate. The project also gave me first-hand insight into the complexities of multiplayer level design. Unlike single-player environments, multiplayer levels require constant consideration of viewport positions, player interactions, and asset placement for multiple perspectives simultaneously. These factors, along with balancing gameplay flow for more than one player at a time, extended the design process far beyond what I had previously experienced.
Through disciplined time management and sprint-based planning, that additional complexity never derailed the schedule. Regular communication with the team, combined with structured playtesting, provided an ongoing stream of meaningful feedback that directly informed my design adjustments. By the end of the project, I had a clearer understanding of how to approach multiplayer level design methodically, how to prioritize changes based on player experience, and how to use agile processes to keep development moving without sacrificing quality.